


Endgame a la Alex

by Alexander_Daeqirelle



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Endgame fix it, F/M, M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-07-28 16:28:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20067064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexander_Daeqirelle/pseuds/Alexander_Daeqirelle
Summary: I found Endgame in the trash and decided to rewrite/add some things i would like to have seen differently!So I give you an Endgame in which:-Natasha saves Clint from himself way earlier-the time travel test has a different destination-someone else dies on Vormir-other people don't die at all-and Steve just does his damn job





	1. One

**Prologue**

Everyone has a different idea about how the world is supposed to end. Falling stars, descending gods, a nuclear disaster, the earth swallowed by the sun. But not even the brightest imagination could have come up with a purple alien, a few shiny gems and a simple snap of his fingers. Some had said the world would end in fire. It ended in ashes instead.

**1\. 2 months after the Snap**

The speakers of the rental car blasted an insignificant song about love and the power of hope as Natasha drove along the deserted Sahara road. It was far from the things she usually liked to listen to but still preferred the man’s decent singing voice over the ones in her head. The past two months had been crazy. The shock, the grief… With Tony’s surprise return and Thanos’ second use of the stones had come hope, only to be diminished by the discovery that they were gone. Lost forever and with that their only hope of getting their loved ones back.

There was still one person in her life however, who had vanished but not Vanished. Clint. When she couldn’t reach him at first she had been afraid that he had been lost to Thanos as well. He hadn’t, but the grief over his lost family had led him to take justice into his own hands, taking him down a dark and very red road. The Egyptian city of Siwa was his latest (and, had Natasha decided, last) destination.

Entering the desert city she parked her car next to a mostly abandoned hotel and started the search for her best friend. She hadn’t even made it out of the street before a voice, abruptly silenced mid-scream, told her exactly where she needed to be. She arrived at the same moment Clint left the building. Clint… He was almost unrecognizable. His new outfit, his pale face, but it was mostly the haunted look in his eyes, one that betrayed his pain. It made Natasha’s heart ache when he looked at her.

“You shouldn’t be here.” It was barely more than a whisper.

“Neither should you.” She tried to keep her own pain out of her voice. “What are you doing Clint? This isn’t you.”

“It isn’t right,” he said, bitterness creeping into his voice. “They… they are gone but these criminals,” he spat out the word. “_They_ get to live, _they_ get to…”

Natasha stepped forward, taking his hand into her own. “I know. It’s not fair. But all you’re achieving here is turning yourself into one of their own. I don’t know if there’s a way to bring everyone back but I won’t rest until I’ve done everything I can to find one. We’re Avengers, isn’t that what we do best?” She squeezed his hand. “Come home with me Clint, please.”

And right then, right there, he fell apart. “There’s no home Nat, not without them.” “Come to New York with me then. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

He let her lead him back to the car, back the airport, back to the compound. It felt strangely empty being inhabited by just the two of them but they made it work, as they always had. They spent their days training, searching for clues, discussing their options and the world post-Snap with the other remaining Avengers. It was a life far from what they had wanted, had planned, but they had each other and that would have to be enough.


	2. Two

**2 5 years after the Snap**

It was incredible how fast things could change, mused Natasha, staring up at the giant new machine in the compound. Scott’s reappearance had set events in motion that a week ago she had considered impossible. It sounded like something from a science-fiction movie, but here she was, looking at a time machine. Where would the world be without Anthony Edward Stark? It was a crazy plan, it was absolutely insane, yet for the first time in five years they had a chance and hell would they use it. If it would work. God, if only it would work.

Clint had volunteered to test it and Natasha bit back a smile as he walked towards the machine. He looked ridiculous in that suit. “Are you sure about this?” she asked as he climbed the platform. “Of course,” he answered, more confidently than he felt. “We have a chance Nat, you said it yourself, we have to try. Besides, what’s the worst thing that could happen?” Natasha sighed and thought of the million things that could go wrong. Messing with time was not something to take lightly, but he was right, they had to try. “Just be careful okay?” Clint gave her a reassuring smile. “Always.” Then he looked over to Bruce who stood by the control panel, waiting for Clint to give him the okay. “Alright, I’m ready.” And there he went.

The quantum realm was crazy. Bright colors flashing by, he had no sense of what he was seeing but it was wild and bright and fast and he was relieved when it was over. He took off the suit and gave himself a few moments to collect himself. He took a few breaths and realized immediately that the air was thinner than he was used to. He could still breathe but there had definitely been a change. He abruptly looked up as it hit him: he had made it. It worked.

_Sokovia 2015_

Clint took a good look around. He had arrived quite early into the battle and most of the buildings were still standing but he knew he had to get moving if he didn’t want to get crushed later. Now he just had to find a boy who moved so fast he was almost impossible to see. Should be easy enough. He started making his way towards the town square and it took him exactly two minutes to run into his first robot. It took him only two seconds to realize he didn’t bring his bow. So instead he went for the next best thing: charge the robot head on. He managed to disarm him after a short but intense struggle and then used his own gun to shoot the thing. Well, now he at least had some sort of weapon. He continued his way and quickened his pace. The faster he got out of here the better. He was not going to die in some alternate timeline. A little while later he had reached the heart of the battle and was hiding behind the ruins of what that morning still had been someone’s house, peeking over the edge and surveying the area, looking for that familiar blue glow.

“Why are you not fighting robots? Do you need a cane?” The voice came from behind him and startled him more than he had expected. He turned around with a speed that might have impressed the boy, had he not been too preoccupied with being concerned and making sure he wasn’t about to be ambushed by one of Ultron’s minions. It had been eight years, eight godforsaken years and it took Clint a moment to find his voice. “Pietro.” It was little more than a whisper.

“You look more aged every time I see you, old man. Are you sure you can fight?” And then Clint found his strength and he grabbed the boy by his shirt and yanked him down beside him, behind the relative safety of the half broken wall. “I have aged and I need to talk to you.” “Talk to me? Have you not noticed we’re in the middle of a fight?” “Listen,” he sounded urgent, his hand still holding on to Pietro’s shirt. A shirt not covered in blood and bullet holes. Shit.

“This is going to sound crazy but you need to listen to me okay? I have aged. I have aged eight years. I’m from the future and you’re about to die. I’m here to save you.” “What are you talking about?” Pietro was visibly confused. “I’m way too fast to be killed by these robots right?” Clint shook his head, gripping Pietro’s shirt tighter. “That’s what you think. But they’ll kill you… while you’re protecting me.” He could see that he was not getting through to the boy (and honestly who could blame him? He himself could still barely believe time travel was a thing and the only reason he was sure it existed was because of those young grey eyes staring into his. But he had to make him believe). He went on desperately. “Listen, your sister needs you. She survives this, but in the future she’s in trouble and she needs your help and you can’t help her if you’re dead and if you stay here you will be. Please, you have to come with me. For her.”

Playing the Wanda card had been a smart move, he was clearly in doubt now, trying to wrap his head around everything Clint was saying. He wanted to give him some more time, time to understand, but every second they spent here they got into more danger. Where was he eight years ago around this time? Then he remembered the street where Pietro had first called him an old man and he got an idea. “I’ll prove it to you, let’s go.” He ran without another word and Pietro followed him, stopping short when he saw it.Across the street was the Clint Pietro knew, eight years younger and kicking ass with his bow and arrows. But next to him was Clint too, an older looking Clint… He saw Pietro trying to process what was happening and he used that moment to take out the extra bracelet with the Pym-particle he had brought and gave it to him. “Here, take this. Put it on.” Pietro absentmindedly did as he was told, still trying to make sense of the two Clints he was seeing. “Okay,” said Clint, looking around for stray robots. “We really have to go now. Are you coming?” “What about my sister? I’m not leaving her.” Clint gave him a reassuring smile. Don’t worry, she’ll be alright. Believe me, she’s stronger than you know.” Pietro hesitated for a moment longer but the older Clint’s desperate eyes finally had him nodding his okay, though he was still obviously overwhelmed by the whole situation. Clint let out one breath of relief, then activated both their Pym-particles. And there they went.

The landing was rough and his knees gave almost instantly but Natasha was at his side before he even had the chance to look up. But then he did, first at her and then beside him where Pietro was getting up, looking around in a confused panic. Tony stepped forward. “Hey kid, bumpy ride? Come on down, we have a lot to tell you.” “Where’s my sister?” he demanded but Tony was already leading him towards their living quarters. “Let me get you a drink first, you’re going to need it.” As their voices faded Clint looked up at his best friend again. “We did it,” he whispered. Natasha nodded, a smile on her face and a trace of tears in her eyes. “We did it. We’ll get them back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently Clint going back to save Pietro was the Russo's original idea and I'll be forever mad they changed it.


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drama on Vormir.  
Can y'all tell i love my boy Pietro

**3 5 years after the Snap**

Now that they had revisited the past it was time to move on to their next stop, space. Morag and Vormir to be precise. After Rhodey and Nebula had been dropped off on the former, Natasha, Clint and Pietro continued their journey to the latter. The place looked stunning from the windows of the ship and if they hadn’t been under so much pressure they would’ve taken more than a moment to appreciate it but there was no time. They had to get going.

As Natasha and Clint got started on the climb up the mountain, Pietro went for a quick run around the place to scout. He was met with expectant looks as he came to a slipping halt halfway up the slope. “There’s nothing here except for a weird floating guy with a cape,” he said as he joined them for the rest of the journey. Cautious but not shocked they made their way to the top. After you watch the world end and travel through time some things just aren’t that special anymore. What did surprise them though was how familiar his face was and the fact that he knew exactly who they were. In Natasha’s case even better than herself.

“Natasha, daughter of Ivan, Clint, son of Edith, Pietro, son of Magda,” he greeted them. They all had their weapons pointed at him but he didn’t seem fazed by that at all, maybe because he didn’t have a mortal body that could be killed by shooting at it. “You have come to find the soul stone. It is here. However, the stone requires a sacrifice.” He gestured subtly towards the edge of the cliff. “In order to get it you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange.”

“Is he serious?” Pietro’s eyes had widened. “It sounds a bit too much Greek-mythology like to me.”

“I think so.” Natasha remembered Nebula’s story. “Thanos came here with Gamora but only he returned. He must have sacrificed her.”

They all fell silent, thinking over the Red Skull’s words. “Whatever it takes,” mused Natasha. “That’s what we said and that’s what we’ll do. If we don’t get that stone, billions of people stay dead.”

Clint and Natasha exchanged a look, Pietro was staring into the distance, his mind going even faster than his feet had before. There had to be another way… But the other two had already made up their minds. Clint spoke first.

“Then I guess we both know who it’s got to be.”

“I guess we do.”

His brow furrowed at the look in her eyes. “I’m starting to think we mean different people here Natasha.”

“I’ll do it,” interrupted Pietro.

“No.” Clint went into dad-mode.

“Yes.” Pietro stepped forward. “You saved my life. I owe you this.”

The Red Skull followed the discussion with interest, mentally placing his bets.

“I didn’t prevent you from dying for me only to have you do it now anyway! It’s out of the question.” He turned to his best friend, considering this dealt with. “It has to be me.”

She shook her head. “No it doesn’t. You have a family and I have red in my…”

“You wiped that out years ago!” he interrupted, frustrated. “You can stop playing that card Nat. And you have a family too. Both of you.” He looked at Pietro. “You gave my kids a father, now let me help you get your sister back. And you,” he turned back to Natasha. “You saved me from myself. Let me do this.”

Natasha rested her forehead against Clint’s and closed her eyes. “Okay, you win.” Clint closed his eyes too. “Tell my family I love them.”

“Tell them yourself.” And then she was running away from him, towards the edge of the cliff. Oh hell no. Clint was after her in a split second and managed to tackle her before she was able to jump. They struggled. Pietro panicked. The Red Skull wished for popcorn.

Love is weakness. That was what Natasha had always been taught, had believed too, until she found her best friend, gained a family. They had given her something to fight for and it had make her stronger instead. Now it turned out to be true after all. They had worked together for so long that Clint knew her every move. It had worked great on missions but not now, when he turned against her. Of course she knew his too, but he was on top of her now and had the upper hand. He managed to take her taser from her and used it, then made for the cliff’s edge before she could recover. He jumped but somehow didn’t fall. Why didn’t he fall?

Then he noticed the silver-haired boy who was firmly holding on to his jacket. “You’ll break your hip old man.” His small smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Pietro,” he breathed. “Let me go, it’s okay.” And where Pietro was faster, Clint was stronger. He freed himself from the boy’s grasp. And fell.

They woke up in the water, the soul stone resting in Pietro’s hand where a few moments ago Clint’s jacket had been. When she fully realized what that meant Natasha became overwhelmed with grief but it took only one look at Pietro’s distraught face to blink her tears away, to stop the screams from leaving her mouth. She let her anger take charge instead. It was time for action. This was far from over. “Come on,” she said, helping Pietro up and getting ready to travel back. “We’re not done yet. Let’s make sure it was worth it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this has been very Nat, Clint and Pietro centered (i love them urgh) but next chapter we're headed into the final battle and we'll be joined by the rest of the gang :)


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanos is gonna catch some hands

**4 5 years after the Snap – the final battle/Endgame**

It had been one hell of a day. Thanos was back, the compound was in pieces, everything had gone so so wrong ever since the purple giant had discovered their plan and 2014 Nebula had infiltrated the team. Now Steve stood before him, holding on to his broken shield. I can do this all day raced through his mind but he knew he wouldn’t last that long. This enemy was one too big for him alone. It was funny, if you thought about it, that he would die at the hands of someone who was supposed to be long dead already. He gritted his teeth and got ready to fight for the last time.

“On your left.”

For a second he thought he had misheard it but then, when he looked to his left, there was Sam, flying out of a portal with a shit-eating grin on his face. And he wasn’t alone. All around him portals opened and everyone who had fallen victim to Thanos’ fingers stepped out of them and joined the remaining Avengers on the battlefield. Bucky, Peter, the Wakandan army…

“Wanda!” Pietro ran towards his sister and pulled her into a tight hug. “Pietro.” Her voice broke and she held onto him as if she would never let him go again. She had sensed him since she had been brought back but she couldn’t believe he was actually here. The same Pietro she had always known, and for a second she was really confused but Pietro was already talking. “Clint brought me here with time travel. It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later.” As he pressed a kiss into her hair, realization hit and a smile spread across her face. “You do realize I’m now three years older than you right?” “Shut up.”

There was only time to exchange a few short greetings and smiles before all of them had to face reality once again. Thanos wasn’t throwing them a welcome back party after all. There was a battle ahead. They lined up for the final fight, the endgame as Strange and Tony had called it, and this time when he got ready Steve finally had hope.

“Avengers… assemble!”

A whole army full of angry people who wanted revenge made for a pretty intimidating enemy and even though Thanos’ soldiers outnumbered their own, the fight was more than equal. One by one Thanos’ minions went down without considerable losses on their own side but it wasn’t enough. There were too many of them and nothing mattered if they didn’t get their hands on that gauntlet. And Thanos wasn’t about to let that happen. He was feeling quite confident about all this, that was, until Captain Carol Danvers showed up and managed to completely and utterly destroy his entire ship in less than a minute. And then she came for him.

As Carol landed hit after hit and Thanos had to focus all his attention on not getting killed, Wanda used her powers to take the gauntlet from his hand. She also tried to use her powers to move the fingers and snap without anyone having to put it on and get hurt but the stones wouldn’t let her. Her attempts were interrupted as she was attacked from behind and had to defend herself so she threw the gauntlet to the first person she saw, Tony. He caught it and looked up, his eyes meeting those of doctor Stephen Strange. No words were spoken but Stephen knew what Tony was asking and with his shaking hands he slowly raised one single finger.

_“I looked forward in time. I saw 14.000.605 possible futures.” _

_“How many did we win?” _

_“One.”_

Tony understood immediately. He slipped the gauntlet on, silently saying goodbye to Pepper, to Morgan, to Peter, to Rhodey as he felt the power of the infinity stones course through him. So this was it then. He raised his hand and his head, if he was going to defeat that bastard he would do it while looking him in the eye. But before he could finally beat Thanos at his own game he was stopped by a voice yelling “Wait!”.

Frowning, he turned around to find a familiar guy running towards him. Peter Quill, he remembered. What was he doing? He had already messed up their plan once. But then he yelled again. “Stark, give me your hand! We’ll share the power!” He reached Tony completely out of breath and grabbed the hand that wasn’t holding the gauntlet, holding out his other hand which was taken by Drax, who had followed him. Everyone who could get away with putting their weapons down for a few seconds joined them and soon there were about twenty people holding hands. Tony raised the gauntlet again and smiled. It was finally about to be over. _Snap._

Thanos had vanished. His army had vanished. Everyone was catching their breath and finally properly greeting each other. Stephen was kneeling next to Tony, examining him. Pepper was sitting next to him on the other side, looking worried but Stephen assured both them they didn’t need to be. Tony would lose his arm, but other than that he would be perfectly fine. Tony gave his friends a weak smile.

“Shawarma, anyone?”


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath and Steve returns the stones

**5 the first day – the aftermath**

The day after Thanos’ final defeat was beautiful. Literally too. The sun was shining and all the Avengers had gathered at Tony and Pepper’s lake house. This morning they had held a memorial service for Clint, now it was afternoon and they were sitting in the garden, talking, laughing, catching up on five years of news and eating the shawarma Tony had promised.

Tony sat in the sun, smiling at his family, at the novelty that was living in peace. He had been so sure he would have to give it up and as he now looked over at Morgan, introducing herself over and over to Groot, he couldn’t be happier. Across from him at the table sat Peter, who seemed to already have become best friends with Shuri as they tried to go through five years of missed memes in one afternoon. They also had their love for technology in common and Peter excitedly and beaming with pride told her about the time machine Tony had built in the basement “when he invented time travel!”

“Invented?” Shuri said with an eyebrow raised and a smile on her lips. “You must be joking. I built a time machine a few months before we were snapped but my brother won’t let me use it. Now it’s just gathering dust in our basement.”

“And with good reason,” T’Challa interrupted before continuing his own conversation.

“You built a time machine?” Peter’s mouth was hanging open in shock. Shuri grinned at him.

“They don’t call me the smartest person in the world for nothing. You should come over so I can show you my lab.”

“Yes!” He exclaimed before becoming a little embarrassed at his reaction in front of a princess. “Uh I mean that would be really great.” Tony couldn’t stop smiling.

The party neared its end and it slowly became time for everyone to move on with their lives. Tony would retire with Pepper and Morgan at the lake house. Bruce planned on going back to his lab. Thor was leaving New Asgard in Valkyrie’s capable hands. She had offered him to stay on as her advisor which he said he might do later. For now he would take some time off all responsibilities and focus on his mental health. Auntie Nat went to live with Laura and the kids. She had always been part of their family anyways.

Steve couldn’t move on yet. He still had one last promise to keep: returning the stones to their original timeline. He put on the suit again and climbed the platform, sending a reassuring smile to Sam and Bucky who were standing beside it, before signaling that he was ready. Bruce counted down the seconds and then Steve was gone. Sam and Bucky, still new to time travel, exchanged uneasy looks.

“And returning in 3, 2, 1…” Bucky breathed out a sigh of relief as Steve reappeared before them.

“It’s done,” he said as he descended from the platform. “It’s over.”

Neither of them said anything. They had the feeling Steve wasn’t done talking yet. He took a deep breath before turning to Sam.

“You know… I’ve taken a look at my calendar and as it turns out most people in their nineties have retired. I think it’s time for me to do that too.”

Sam nodded in understanding though he looked a little sad. “I think the world is going to miss Captain America.”

“Maybe they don’t have to.” He held out the shield.

Sam gave him a disbelieving look. “Are you serious? I know I have skills but I’m no you.”

Steve grinned, remembering the first time they worked together. “You do what I do, just slower.”

Sam laughed at that and, albeit a little hesitantly, accepted the shield. He was silent for a moment as he felt the way it lay in his hand.

“So, what are your retirement plans? I doubt they’ll let you into a home.”

Steve laughed and put his arm around Bucky. “T’Challa has invited Bucky to come back to his goat farm in Wakanda and I’m going with him. We thought we deserved some peace and quiet after the last century.”

They slowly walked back to the lake house where a quinjet was waiting. Steve Rogers, the goat herder, he mused. Who would have thought? But then, Steve Rogers, Bucky’s future husband, that had always been in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my new reality now lol  
I would love to hear your thoughts!


End file.
